Yearly Archives

2016

Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes – Spring 2016

February 9, 2016

 

This spring Tom Ford has launched eight shades of Cream Color for Eyes ($45 each for 0.17 fl oz/ 5 ml, made in Italy). Two of the eight shades have been launched before as individual cream colors in Platinum and Spice. One of the shades Caviar has a very close resemblance to Black Oyster Cream Powder Duo from a year ago (swatched here). The new ones launched this spring are smaller in size compared to previous launches, but the quality is still extremely good, easy to blend with pretty good lasting power for a cream shadow. All the colors have some degree of shimmer. According to Tom Ford PR, all the shades in this launch are limited-edition.

 

 

I have seven of the new ones swatched and reviewed. I didn’t repurchase Spice as I already own the full size and it was also part of the Naked Bronze Cream Powder Eye Duo which is the same for the cream color, but I have re-swatched it for reference. The colors in this launch are quite stunning. Descriptions of each color:
  • Opale is a pale champagne ivory shimmer, the shimmer is smooth and non-glittery, although the shimmer is definitely noticeable
  • Sphinx is an iridescent pink gold peachy duo chrome color, the shimmer flecks are slightly more visible and larger in this one compared to other shades, it’s not a full on glittery shade, but the sparkle factor is definitely there, even though there are chunks of sparkle, it’s smooth and I didn’t experience any fallout
  • Platinum is the perfect lids-but-better kind of subtle contour light beige tan color for me, it has a smooth shimmer that works so good alone or as a blending shade
  • Siren Blue is the only color that I can’t see myself wearing alone on a regular basis, I did try this alone and it gives the lids the prettiest wash of aqua colored shimmer. It’s not for me alone, but I did try this one layered softly over Midnight Violet and Caviar for two separate looks. Add this one on top and it gives the other shades a soft iridescent sheen.
  • Burnished Copper is a shimmering khaki olive color, it has a very smooth texture similar to that of Platinum
  • Midnight Violet is a deep violet shade, it sheers out when you blend it on the lids, but is easy to layer and build
  • Caviar is a deep metallic grey-black shimmer with tiny flecks of silver shimmer, it’s not as sparkly as Sphinx but the shimmer particles are visible for a smokey shimmer look

 

Close ups of each shade:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To apply the shadows, I like to use fingers or any one of these brushes.

 

 

My favorite cream shadow brush to use is actually a concealer brush. The Chanel Brush #10 is my go-to for cream shadows. It has a smooth tip and it’s just the right size to blend colors nicely on my lid (not too small and not too wide). I also really like the Laura Mercier Corner Eye Brush for powders and creams. To layer and blend creams as a detail color I like Tom Ford’s Eye Definer Brush #15.

 

Swatches left to right are Platinum, Opale, Sphinx, Spice (original), Siren Blue, Burnished Copper, Midnight Violet and Caviar

 

 

I did three different eye looks to share for some ideas, in each one I used only the cream shadows listed, nothing else for eye bases or liners:

 

 

 

 

For comparisons, I pulled a few other Tom Ford Cream Shadows (most of which have been discontinued or limited-edition colors) and some Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Shadows. In my testing experience the cream ones from Charlotte Tilbury have the most similar texture in terms of how emollient they are, pigment and color payoff, shimmer and overall quality. I find all of these last extremely well throughout the day without fading, creasing or budging – but do note I think I may be the only person I know who doesn’t have oily lids. Most eye bases are too drying for my skin.
Below for size and packaging comparisons:
Swatch Comparisons 1: Note the original and new Platinum colors are identical, but if you’ve played with it you know that depending on the angle the light hits it sometimes you see more of the shimmer, other times you will see more of the tan base. All the shades in Set 1 are from Tom Ford. Escapade, Pink Haze, Spring 2015 have been d/c.

 

 

Swatch Comparisons 2: Shown below are some of the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Eyeshadows and NARS Dual Intensity Eye Shadows.

 

 

Based on my comparisons, Tom Ford Opale is a lighter version of Charlotte Tilbury Norma Jean. On my skin once blended, they are similar. I have a slight preference for Norma Jean, but both shades are such pretty neutral shimmers.

 

NARS Himalia is more metallic and frosted than Tom Ford Platinum. Charlotte Tilbury is a few shades darker and warmer compared to Tom Ford Platinum. I’m a sucker for a good taupe shimmer, but I think Platinum is a must no matter how many other taupes you own.

 

Between Charlotte Tilbury Bette and Tom Ford Spice, I vote for the Charlotte Tilbury in terms of color choice. It’s warmer in color, but I think they are close enough that you don’t need both.

 

Tom Ford Midnight Violet almost seems like a muted violet plum shimmer, but when swatched next to Charlotte Mona Lisa, the Tom Ford almost looks bright.

 

I don’t own many aqua colored shadows, NARS Lysithea is a cool-toned sage, on my skin it pulls almost blue.

 

 

Bottom line all winners. With the exception of Siren Blue, I can see myself wearing each color on a regular basis for everyday. They have enough shimmer to dress up the look for an easy evening look. You can always layer powder shadows on top of these colors. They have an emollient texture that makes them super easy to blend. It takes a little bit of time for them to set which I like because then I don’t have to rush the blending and layering process. I think the only color some might have issue with is Sphinx – it’s the most unique peachy gold shade that flashes pink, but there are tiny micro sparkles I think some might find too sparkly. I really like it, alone or layered over another shade, but if you’re super conservative on the shimmer you may want to see if you can test before buying. What I like the most about these is that they brighten the eyes with the prettiest wash of shimmer. They are indeed on the pricey side, but a little goes a long way. All the ones I’ve purchased in the past have lasted a long time and none of them have gone bad yet.

 

According to Tom Ford PR, these are all limited-edition. If there’s one shade you track down, definitely pick up Platinum if you don’t already own it.

 

You can find the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes now. Online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tom Ford Beauty.

 

Five of the shades featured sent courtesy of Tom Ford Beauty for review consideration, two of the colors purchased by me.
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Uncategorized

Chinese New Year 2016 Armani Highlighting Palette and MAC Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer for the Year of the Monkey

February 8, 2016

Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the day many of us celebrate Chinese New Year and this year’s zodiac animal is the monkey. There are some cute beauty items that have launched to celebrate this event, I have two to feature today. One being the Armani Chinese New Year Highlighting Palette ($88 for 8.5 g/0.3 oz, made in France) and the other is MAC Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer ($17 for 3g/0.1 oz, made in Canada).

Up first is the new highlighting powder from Armani. The Chinese New Year Highlighting Palette comes in a mirrored compact with a compartment for a small brush. The packaging design is similar to that of other highlighting powders and the powder foundation. It’s a very soft and subtle highlighter in a gold shade. It does have quite a complex mix of shimmers from champagne and gold. I found the finish to be on the sheer side but it is buildable. Depending on how the light hits the compact, sometimes the color will look more golden and yellow, other times the shimmers will reflect to show more of a champagne colored shimmer. It comes cased in a stunning red lacquered compact. On the top is embossed the Chinese character for good fortune. It was difficult to capture the shimmer in this one but depending on how you apply it, you will see tiny bits of micro sparkle, almost like superfine tiny bits of glitter. It’s very smooth on the skin though, there’s no texture or chunkiness to the feel.

A look at the packaging design:

Swatched with a heavy hand otherwise it would not show up on camera:

A few swatch comparisons below to:
Armani Fluid Sheer #2 (also swatched here)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light (review)
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder Brilliant Strobe Light (swatch)
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder Euphoric Strobe Light (review)

I think it’s a nice collective piece to own if you celebrate Chinese New Year or if you simply love Armani highlighters. I find it special because of the packaging design and since I am Chinese, I do think it’s a fun piece to own. In terms of the color and quality, it’s a high quality powder with a finely milled texture to add a nice glow. On me I find it very subtle. I suspect some may find it too subtle or may not like the tiny gold micro sparkles. I like that it doesn’t emphasize pores and it feels very smooth on the skin. That being said, I do prefer the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Powders to this one.

Next up is something from MAC. They’ve curated a collection of some of their top-selling items (repromotes and permanent items) for the Year of the Monkey Collection – shades inspired by Chinese opera. Online and in MAC stores they have a special gold envelope (while supplies last). I ordered Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer online as it’s always been on my radar but I never caved and ordered. It’s a beautiful sheer grapefruit color. It’s bright but not too bright. You can find the color at all MAC counters and online. It’s just the envelope that is limited-edition and exclusive to MAC online/stores. This comes in the lustre lipstick formula which is sheer but buildable. Your natural lip color will show through if you only swipe it across the lips once and it has a naturally glossy finish.

Swatch comparisons to:
Buxom Bold Gel Lipstick in Coral Confession (swatched here)
YSL Glossy Stain 42 (swatched here)

I think the Armani palette is a nice item to have, but not a must. I ordered mine sight unseen as I did not see it available at any counters near me. Had I been able to test it in person I suspect there’s a good chance I still would have purchased it because of the packaging and personal meaning. MAC See Sheer is a good wearable coral that adds life to the complexion. It’s a brighter shade compared to my natural preference for nude lips but I still find it very wearable and easy to pull off for everyday.
The Armani Chinese New Year Palette retails for $88 and is limited-edition. You can find it online at Nordstrom, Giorgio Armani and Saks Fifth Avenue.

MAC Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer retails for $17. You can find it at MAC stores and online (they will send a gold envelope with any Chinese New Year collection purchase while supplies last). If you’re just interested in the lipstick, it’s widely available at all MAC counters. Online at Nordstrom, Macy’s and MAC Cosmetics.

Did you check out any of the Chinese New Year beauty items this year? Happy New Year to those who celebrate!

22 Comments
Loving Right Now

Sunday Details and Loves

February 7, 2016

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’ve been having a great weekend. The sun finally came back here in Southern California and we have weather in the 70s – I can’t tell you how much of a mood lifter this warm weekend has been. I’ve been on a fragrance kick lately, I’ll have a roundup of what I have in rotation soon on the blog. I just picked up my first Maison Martin Margiela in Replica Beach Walk (the rollerball mini) which is the most amazing beachy mix. It has bergamot, coconut milk, lemon, pink pepper, and musk … I think it’s only a matter of time before I pick up the full size spray. Right now I’ve been loving the Chloé Eau de Parfum for a soft femine scent (shown above). I have Love Story on my wishlist but it seems to have a very similar feel to the regular Chloé – if you’ve tried any of the Chloe perfumes please let me know what your favorite is!

Other details today include the Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara Waterproof in Noir (a go-to these days), NARS Blush Duo in Hot Sand + Orgasm (reviewed here) and NARS Babydoll Lip Gloss (such a pretty pink shimmer, lip swatch here). I just started playing with the new Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes last week and am beyond thrilled they’ve re-launched Platinum. It’s one of the best all over lid shades that makes a great easy wash for lazy days. It also makes for a great base for powder shadows. Today I’m testing three layered together. Shown above from top to bottom is Platinum, Opale and Caviar. I have taken photographs of all the shades + swatches, I just need to edit them for a post very soon.

Last but not least, I wanted to do a comparison between two makeup bags. I splurged on the Louis Vuitton Epi Cosmetic Case in Dune last month. The nude pink color is just so pretty and it had been on my wishlist for a long time. I really like the durability and classic look of the Epi line and after thinking about this one for months decided to go for it. A few weeks ago I featured the Tory Burch York Cosmetic Case in my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide round up post as a less expensive alternative (it’s still on the pricey side, but more affordable). I purchased one in Light Oak which is a nude pink color. It’s made of Saffiano textured leather and very sturdy. (More colors here.) If you’re looking to treat yourself, a friend or a loved one on a pretty cosmetic case, I think either of these are great.

Here’s a side by side comparison. The one from Tory Burch is slightly smaller in size compared to the one from Louis Vuitton, but the overall shape and function is the same.

Tory Burch Small York Case measures 6″W x 4″H x 2 ½”D
Louis Vuitton Epi Cosmetic Case measures 6.7″ x 4.7″ x 2.4″ inches

I hope you are enjoying the last bits of your weekend! If you have any new beauty discoveries, or found some items in your stash that you have rediscovered, I’ve love to hear about what you are loving right now! P.S. if you’re a fan of the Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks note they are being discontinued so if you have any favorite shades you might want to stock up. On February 12th they will be launching a new lipstick formula (30+ shades) – I can’t to share more details with you.

Some press samples featured above include NARS Babydoll Lip Gloss, Tom Ford Platinum and Opale Cream Shadows.
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Chanel

Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection for Spring 2016

February 5, 2016

There’s a new pearly-themed beauty collection that just launched for Chanel this spring. The collection is called Les Sautoirs de Coco which features a mix of pale pearly shades and bright pinks. In past years these white pearl-themed collections seem to have been Asia exclusive colors, sometimes launching later in the US in late summer as Nordstrom Anniversary exclusives. Last year Chanel launched the Collection La Perle de Chanel in the US. This year they have the Les Sautoirs de Coco and it’s nice to see them launching these kinds of mini collections in the US (although it’s hard to believe a year has already flown by!). The inspiration and theme according to Chanel:

“Inspired by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s love of pearls, a new makeup collection glimmers with iridescent and luminous shades of white, pink and soft grey, while classic black elements bring an unexpected contrast to the soft colour range.”

I ordered items sight unseen. Based on the online stock photos I knew this collection would either be hit or miss as some of the pink lip colors look very cool-toned, but I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and see if I could try a few new brighter shades. A few weeks ago this was exclusive to Chanel.com, but now appears to be at counters and online at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. What I purchased:
Glossimers in Babiole, Pinctada and Clarté ($30 each)

Swatches of the items and then some thoughts below on each item:

I’ll start with my favorite item in the collection which is the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter. This appears to be somewhere in between a cream and powder. It’s neither creamy nor powdery but it is very smooth with a very subtle glow. I swatched it above with a very heavy hand so you can see the color differences between each shade. On my medium olive skin the highlighter shades both look the same and give a very delicate luminous glow. On the cheeks it gives a soft hint of shimmer. This is one of the most natural-looking highlighters I’ve ever tried. If you find most highlighters too shimmery, too glowy or too frosty, you might want to look into this one because the shimmer is very finely milled. Color payoff is very natural on my cheeks when applied with a blush brush. If you want a more visible glow but want something natural I’d recommend you check out the Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders or Hourglass Luminous Light instead. If you’re ok with some serious glow, check out the Natasha Denona Glowing Skin System. The overall effect of the Perles Et Fantaisies Highlighter is very natural but still noticeable.

Given the number of highlighters and glowy products that are out on the market right now, I can’t personally deem it a must-have. I think there are a lot of other options that are more affordable. Still the quality is there with this one. It adds a nice subtle glow without emphasizing pores or making the skin look overly shiny. I do think because of the semi-sheer finish that some will find this simply too natural or sheer to justify splurging. I have no regrets buying it and I do really like it though.

Swatched with a very heavy hand:

Next are two items for eyes. There’s a new Les 4 Ombres in Tissé de Lune. This one reminds me of an older Chanel quad that I cannot recall the name of. This is a pearly quad with the baked formula. I’m not a fan of the baked formula and wish Chanel would skip that kind of formula entirely. The pigment is decent with this one though. The colors apply with visible pigment and they aren’t chalky. However the 3 lighter shades when applied on the eyes end up all looking the same on my skin. They are distinct if you swatch side by side, but once you layer they all kind of disappear into the same light colored shimmer. It will give the eyes a very bright glow kind of highlight that I find pretty. They are pale shades but not too pale or garish (sometimes light shades have a sharp contrast to my olive skintone).

The quad layered on the lids – as you can see below the colors are pretty sheer and all the shades look similar on the eyes. The flash washed out the color a little bit but it leaves a subtle gleam of shimmer on the lids:

There’s a new Illusion D’Ombre in Iridescent. This one is really pretty and gives the lids a wash of opal shimmer that flashes tiny bits of pink. You can layer for more intensity but this is one of those nice brightening kinds of eyeshadows that you can wear all over the lids. It has a very slight duo chrome quality without being too shimmery or frosty. I really like this one.

Swatched below, left is blended and right is layered:

Last but not least are three Glossimers in Clarté which is a sheer opal pink shimmer, Babiole a cool-toned bright raspberry fuschia cream and Pinctada which is a cool-toned bright pink shimmer. I absolutely love Clarté which gives the lips a really pretty wash of color. It has a similar effect to Songe (which I couldn’t find in my stash to compare) in the sense it gives the lips a gorgeous glow with a hint of iridescent shine.

Although I am a neutral lip lover at heart, I do find Pinctada a wearable color even though it’s on the bright side. It’s cool-toned but not too cool that I find it turns blue on my skin.

Babiole is something that doesn’t work for me. The pigment and color payoff is very good, but because it’s so blue-based it contrasts with my skintone and looks garish. I think it looks ok in the detail swatch below, but when you see it against the whole face it just clashes with my olive skintone. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous on Christine from Temptalia – so if you haven’t seen her post, be sure to check out her swatches.

If you’re a Chanel fan and have been curious about this collection, I hope you found this review helpful. I think there are definitely some items worth checking out – my top three picks are the highlighter, Illusion D’Ombre and Clarté Glossimer. I do think if you’re trying to narrow down your purchases for highlighter this season, skip the Chanel highlighter and opt for something from Hourglass, Natasha Denona or Tom Ford instead. That being said if you’re always in search of something with a subtle glow and find most highlighters too glowy, this one might be one you have been searching for – it has the most finely milled glow that I’ve ever seen in any highlighter. I’m personally not crazy about the Tissé Ombre de Lune eyeshadow quad or the pink glossimers, but that’s mainly because of my color preferences. For lips Chanel just launched the Rouge Coco Stylo lipsticks and the colors look very promising so I would say save your $$$ for those instead. I just received 3 colors today and will have a post next week with swatches – but here’s a quick peek at #218 Script which is a perfectly creamy pigmented neutral beige pink with a bit of brown.

You can find the Chanel Les Sautoirs de Coco Collection now online at Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. All the items are limited-edition.
Did you check out anything from this launch yet? What did you think?
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Eye Makeup Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con No. 7 The Social Butterfly // Neiman Marcus Exclusive

February 4, 2016

Marc Jacobs Beauty just recently launched the beauty line at Neiman Marcus. It appears they have the full line of products online, I haven’t spotted anything in store yet, but I suspect it will launch in a few select locations to start (if you’ve spotted it at your local Neimans please share in the comments!). As a huge fan of Marc Jacobs Beauty I was thrilled to find a new eyeshadow palette in the Style Eye-Con No. 7 called The Social Butterfly ($59 for 7 g/0.247 oz) which is exclusive to Neiman Marcus. I ordered it as soon I saw it and it made a quick sneak peek appearance on my Instagram here. Today I have swatches + thoughts to share. As a neutral eyeshadow lover this one does not disappoint and conservative eyeshadow wearers will be happy to know it’s glitter-free. The pigment is super rich and soft with this one, similar in texture to many of the other Style Eye-Con No. 7 Palettes. There is a slightly powdery kick up with these shades when you dip your brush into the palette, but the colors apply easily on the lids, blend well and they stay put.

I will call this a neutral warm smokey eyeshadow palette, althought it has a few cool-toned colors. The overall effect gives a unique natural eye look but you can use the darker shades to intensify the color for a more soft smoldering dramatic effect. Urban Decay Naked Smoky pulled on the cool-side for me overall. The Social Butterfly by Marc Jacobs Beauty is a warmer smokey palette and has a more conservative feel. It comes in a small buttoned pouch just like the other palettes. I don’t store them in these but they are nice to have if you travel, it will keep the outside from getting scratched if it’s stored in a travel bag with other makeup items.

The colors from left to right in the palette are:

  • Matte cream, this is a shade lighter than my natural skintone, it works as a good evening base color, or you can use it as the last step to softly buff any harsh edges from other shades
  • Matte tan, this looks neutral, it pulls a bit warm on me, but it’s not orangey or too warm, pigment is excellent
  • Shimmering golden sand, this one has slight olive tones (very very slight) in it, I suspect it pulls that way because of my olive skin, on the eyes it pulls more true to pan
  • Soft shimmering lavender, most readers know I am not a fan of light purples on my eyes, they often look odd on my skin and give me a pink-eye look but this one is so so beautiful, it’s a soft shade that I think is my favorite, it adds a pop of color to the eyes in a pretty and unexpected way
  • Shimmering warm taupe, my favorite kind of eyeshadow color, this one is stunning
  • Matte brown, this one is best used with a detail brush, it blends well, but if you dip a large shadow brush and try to blend, it will look blotchy
  • Dark intense black with tiny flecks of gold shimmer, also best used with a detail brush
Close ups and then swatches:

Bottom line a classic that I will get regular use out of. It’s a very pretty neutral palette that will give a natural smokey eye look. It’s easy to use and layer the colors together. You don’t need use all seven shades at once, I usually use 5 colors at the most, but layering them does allow you to add depth and more dimension. Although this is different from the Dior Eye Reviver palettes (reviewed here and here), I can’t help but feel that Marc Jacob’s The Social Butterfly is what I wanted those palettes to be. I highly recommend that you check it out. I like that the colors are all neutrals and that each color looks distinctly different on the eyes. With some neutral palettes all the colors can often look the same once swatched.

For quick reference if you’re new to Marc Jacobs Beauty, here are a few other reviews I’ve done in the past linked below including all the Style Eye-Con No. 7 Palettes I own (or you can click the Marc Jacobs Beauty tag at the bottom of this post).

Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers (all shades swatched)
Le Marc Lip Crèmes (all shades swatched)
You can find Marc Jacobs Beauty products now at Neiman Marcus, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora. The Social Butterfly Palette is exclusive to Neiman Marcus.

Do you have any Marc Jacobs Beauty favorites? 
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Diptyque Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque x Olympia Le-Tan Rosaviola Candle

February 2, 2016

This spring Diptyque and French fashion designed Olympia Le-Tan have partnered to launch a special limited-edition candle for Valentine’s Day called Rosaviola ($35-$67). Each spring I look forward to the new rose-themed candles for the fun packaging designs and this year’s is the best one yet. Everything about this launch is beautiful, feminine and romantic from the pink boxes, pink glass jar, canvas print sticker label, fun illustrations to the Diptyque emojis. There are the cutest little match cases that have a magnetic enclosure – inside the matches are covered with the Diptyque x Olympia Le-Tan prints. I found mine at the boutique at South Coast Plaza, check your local boutique to see if they still have any left.

There are several items in the Valentine’s Day collection, several of the items have already sold out at a few places. I had to search quite a few retailers to find the mini candle – I think this is the first year they have offered the limited-edition rose as a small version.
In addition, there are some Eau Rose items that have been repromoted but come with the Olympia Le-Tan packaging. I picked up multiples of the candles in both sizes. It smells of sweet roses and violets with really good throw. It’s a girly scent that I’ve been absolutely smitten with. It’s not too girly that it bothers my husband, but I don’t think he would choose to burn it in his office (he likes Mousses and Cuir).

The packaging this year is a frosted baby pink glass jar with an embroidered canvas label that has the letters of Rosaviola embroidered in shades of pink, red and purple. There’s also a little canvas lip-shaped print on the candle itself. The canvas appears to be solid and the adhesive is pretty strong. That being said, if you recycle the candles and rinse the remnants of wax out with warm water and soap, you will need to be careful not to get the canvas wet to keep it pristine.

A look at the box – I die for the prints inside!

Inside the boutiques the Olympia Le-Tan prints covered the windows with the cutest stickers:

A look at the regular standard size versus the mini. The mini ones have sold out everywhere I looked in store, but you might be able to track one down. It appears to have sold out online everywhere except Space NK. I would say hands down if you’re debating which size to purchase, get the standard regular size. The mini is cute and nice to have, but in this case I think you will fall in love with the scent and the larger size will last longer (burn time is listed as approximately 60 hours while the small one is 20 hours, I haven’t actually timed the burn time on any candle though).

A look at the past few years of spring launches from Diptyque, I’m still crying over the fact that I missed out on Rose Duet years ago. Rosamundi was launched a few times, shown below is the 2014 launch. Last year’s version for 2015 was Rosafolia. This year the spring 2016 version is Rosaviola.

Bottom line, the collection is well worth a look. I can’t get over how incredibly cute the packaging is. I wish Diptyque sold the matches as I would haven’t hesitated to purchase them to give out as gifts for my girl friends this Valentine’s Day.

It’s nothing but pure love for this one. I know Diptyque candles come with a hefty price tag, but in my experience they are worth every penny. This one is an absolute must whether it’s to gift to a loved one or to treat yourself. You can recycle the jars after they finish burning for a wide variety of uses (brush holders, pen holders, flower vases etc.).

Bottom line love and I don’t think you should miss this one.

You can find the Diptyque Rosaviola candle at all Diptyque retailers now. It is limited-edition so I suggest you order sooner than later. The limited-edition ones always sell out each year. You can find it online at Diptyque, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York, Net-A-Porter, Space NK, Selfridges and Harrods.

Have you checked out the new candle from Diptyque yet? If not, what’s your favorite one?

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Eye Makeup Fragrance Highlighters Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty – New Spring 2016 Launches

February 1, 2016

There are quite a few new items launching this spring from Tom Ford Beauty. There appear to be mini product launches versus a full seasonal collection release. I did some major hauling over the past few weeks and have thoughts + swatches of my picks to share today. Shown above and swatches of what I picked up below:

Honeymoon Eyeshadow Quad ($80, on backorder at Neiman Marcus) 
Lip Color Shine SS16 ($52)

First up are new eyeshadow quads. The good news is that there are new eyeshadow quad colors in Disco Dust, Honeymoon, Last Dance, Starry Night and Lilac Dream. The bad news is that some like Cognac Sable are being discontinued. I picked up two of the new quads, the neutral warm ones in Disco Dust and Honeymoon. I had to call around to several stores to track down Honeymoon a couple weeks ago. I heard these are permanent so even though Honeymoon seems to be sold out for now, it should be available for purchase when they restock.

Both quads pull very warm on me. They also have shimmer in them which is absolutely stunning. Disco Dust has a cool silvery mauve sparkle, a warm satiny tan, a copper peach shimmer and a dark plum brown shimmer. Two of the shades are very similar to NARS Hammamet Eyeshadow Duo (swatched here) so if you’re not a fan of glitter, you may want to check out the NARS.

Honeymoon is one of the warmest eyeshadow quads I own. It has a shimmering tan, shimmery copper bronze, reddish auburn shimmer and reddish plum. This one pulls very warm on my eyes but it’s still very wearable if I layer and blend it and use the two darker shades along the lash line smudged. If you are very fair this one will pull a lot more red on your skin compared to me. On deeper tan skintones, I think this one will look absolutely amazing on.

Swatch comparisons to Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita (another warm quad I have) and Tom Ford Orchid Haze. In terms of neutral quads, Orchid Haze is one of my favorite everyday neutral palettes from Tom Ford.

Quick eye swatch/look of Disco Dust:

There are two scents launched for early spring called Soleil Blanc. Since I was a huge fan of the Shimmering Body Oil from last year, I picked up both the fragrance and oil. I think I could have skipped the Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil, although it smells amazing. I prefer the fragrance simply because it’s stronger and I feel like it’s not as messy as the shimmering body oil. Also this year’s oil seems to be more emollient than last year’s which I found absorbed quickly into the skin. This one has a lingering feel that isn’t greasy, but definitely noticeable, almost like it’s slightly sticky. For both of these, there isn’t much I could find online to describe the notes except that it has floral combined with amber. 
Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum is a white floral. I don’t find amber notes to be very strong – but when I smell it closely, I can see how there is some blended in because this isn’t an overly powdery floral. It’s a warmer weather scent but I’m completely obsessed with it right now. The Soleil Blanc is what I wanted the Guerlain Terracotta fragrance from a few years ago to smell like (which I found too strong and too floral last time I smelled it).

Next up are one hit and one miss for me. I had very high hopes for the Lip Color Shine in SS16 and Shade and Illuminate in SS16. I almost never try lip color testers at the counters because they are loaded with germs, so I bought the Lip Color Shine without trying it on the lips. On the hands it swatched like a gorgeous glossy nude. On my lips it looks like concealer.

Swatched below is uneven, streaky and concealer-like on my pigmented lips:

If you’re like me and can’t pull off pale nudes, you may want to check out Lip Color Shine in Bare instead which is more pink in color:

Swatch comparisons:

Tom Ford Lip Color in Nude Vanille
Tom Ford Lip Color in Sweet Mystery (swatched)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Eddie (swatched here)
MAC Lipstick in Creme de Nude

Last but not least is the new Shade and Illuminate in SS16. This is the first Shade and Illuminate product I’ve tried from Tom Ford even though there are two other shades. This is a sheer dewy cream illuminator duo. The texture is very dewy and glossy for a natural sheen. I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea since it’s on the dewy side. I like using this as a base for powder blushes or bronzers because it gives the skin a natural glow from within look. If you have oily skin you many want to proceed with caution on these. On my skin this gives a barely there glow. I actually still prefer the Edward Bess All Over Seduction highlighters (they are my holy grail cream highlighters), so if you want something more versatile and more visible, check out the Edward Bess ones instead.

Two sets of comparison swatches:

Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust (discontinued, review)
Tom Ford Cream Blush in Pink Sand (discontinued, review here)

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight, Afterglow and Paradise

There’s lots to explore from Tom Ford right now. I believe there is a mix of permanent and limited-edition items. I suspect the SS16 items are all limited, but the quads are reported to be permanent. Also new from Tom Ford includes a new Purifying Cleansing Oil that I’ve been testing (review soon). It looks like new items for lips and eyes that just launched online including Cream Colors for Eyes, Patent Finish Lip Colors and High Definition Eye Liners.

Out of the items I reviewed on the blog today, I would say that my top picks are the Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum, Disco Dust Quad and SS16 Shade and Illuminate Duo. The SS16 Lip Color Shine doesn’t work for me by itself – I suspect it can be easily fixed with a deeper lipliner like MAC Boldly Bare or Subculture though. Honeymoon is all kinds of gorgeous – but does pull dark and warm on me. It’s very pretty on but I prefer Disco Dust.

Have you checked out the new items from Tom Ford yet? Some pieces have sold out on different sites so if you’re shopping online you may have to order from multiple places.

Eyeshadow Quads can be found at all Tom Ford retailers such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

The Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum appears to be exclusive to Neiman Marcus at the moment.

SS16 Shade and Illuminate + Lip Color Shine can be found at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter.

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